Justice C S Karnan is the first sitting high court judge to be awarded a jail term by the apex court and also the first to have retired as an escapee. Despite various attempts, the former judge has failed to get any relief from the apex court’s vacation benches which has refused to hear his plea seeking a stay of its jail term order.

The Supreme Court on Monday refused an urgent hearing on a plea by former Calcutta High Court Judge C S Karnan, seeking bail and recall of the order convicting him for contempt. The former judge had been evading arrest after he was sentenced to six months in jail for contempt of court by the apex court on May 9. He was later arrested almost after a month of hiding on June 20 by the West Bengal CID from a guest house in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

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According to a PTI report, a bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud said, “Declined. We will not accept an oral request against the judgment.” Justice Karnan’s lawyer Mathews J Nedumpara, however, said that he has been serving the jail term and his petition needs to be heard on an urgent basis.

The former judge who was admitted at SSKM Hospital after he complained of chest pain upon his arrival at the jail on June 21 was sent back to Presidency Jail after his health condition improved. The 62-year-old judge, who retired on June 12 was held guilty of contempt of court for his comments against the Chief Justice of India and other judges of the higher judiciary.

Karnan is the first sitting high court judge to be awarded a jail term by the apex court and also the first to have retired as an escapee. Despite various attempts, the former judge has failed to get any relief from the apex court’s vacation benches which has refused to hear his plea seeking a stay of its jail term order.